The keynote speaker, FDNY Chief of EMS Operations Lillian Bonsignore, noted that the EMS system—established in the 1970s—is young relative to other emergency response agencies like police and fire departments. This relative youth, as well as the immense strain the pandemic has put on EMS personnel and agencies, makes opportunities for connecting, sharing experience, and offering mutual support all the more valuable. Specifically, the program focused on practical advice for creating well-run, financially sustainable EMS organizations and teams.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which believes deeply in the power of sharing knowledge between organizations to help make life-changing resources more widely accessible, supported the EMS Access event.